Clariant partners with Neste to replace fossil-based polymers

Specialty chemical maker Clariant has partnered with Neste renewable diesel fuel supplier Neste to develop sustainable materials for plastics and coating applications.

In the first phase of the partnership, the companies will start replacing fossil-based ethylene and propylene used in Clariant’s hot-melt adhesives with monomers derived from renewable feedstock. “This is enabled by turning Neste’s renewable hydrocarbons – produced 100 per cent from renewable raw materials, such as waste and residue fats and oils as well as vegetable oils – into ethylene and propylene for Clariant’s products,” Clariant said in a statement.

In a later phase, the companies will also develop other sustainable additive solutions derived from renewable raw materials for plastics and coatings applications. “This will enable [us] to help various sustainability-focused brand owners – such as those producing furniture, sporting goods, hygiene products, electronics, and automotives – to increase their bio-based offering while also reducing crude oil dependency and climate emissions,” the statement said.

Clariant is headquartered in Muttenz, Switzerland. Neste is said to be the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel refined from waste and residues; the company has production facilities in Finland, The Netherlands, and Singapore.